Explosion at refinery in Superior, WI.

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Man, I hope nobody was seriously hurt.
My wife used to live a ways South of Superior in WI and we spent a day exploring Superior and Duluth when I was visiting her and we got bored in her town. We splashed around in the lake a bit in Superior, but it sure wasn't a swimming kind of day.
 
The refinery is owned by Husky Energy, and prior to that was owned by Calumet Specialty Products, and prior to that was Murphy Oil. It is not affiliated with Amsoil - amsoil buys base stock from whoever to meet its formulations. The are not located near each other (other than being in Superior).

Not a good deal. From the sounds of it, they were shutting down for repairs when this happened. Always a somewhat sketchy time with processes coming off line.

Hope nobody is seriously hurt.
 
So, probably a gas buildup of some kind? You'd think they would have anticipated something like this.

So who dropped the ball?
 
Originally Posted By: MNgopher
The refinery is owned by Husky Energy, and prior to that was owned by Calumet Specialty Products, and prior to that was Murphy Oil. It is not affiliated with Amsoil - amsoil buys base stock from whoever to meet its formulations. The are not located near each other (other than being in Superior).

Not a good deal. From the sounds of it, they were shutting down for repairs when this happened. Always a somewhat sketchy time with processes coming off line.

Hope nobody is seriously hurt.


Me too!


Flammable and explosive gasses can remain if not drawn off and burned before shutdown.
 
Wow … Husky runs some big projects like White Rose in Newfoundland and stuff in the S. China Sea …
 
As an aside, here is where the oil is from and how it gets there. There is a plan in place to replace the pipeline with a new one. Currently getting some interference from the Minnesota government. Can't go further as it gets political. But rest assured Canada will always be there for America!

Line 3 Replacement Project (U.S.)
Line 3 is an existing 1,097-mile crude oil pipeline, originally installed in the 1960s, that extends from Edmonton, Alberta to Superior, Wisconsin, and is an integral part of Enbridge's Mainline System.

The Line 3 Replacement Program is an integrity and maintenance driven project, and spans from Hardisty, Alberta to Superior, Wisconsin and consists of 1,031 miles of 36-inch diameter pipeline. The US$2.9-billion American portion of the Line 3 Replacement Program (from Neche, North Dakota, through Minnesota, to Superior, Wisconsin) is referred to as the Line 3 Replacement Project.

Safe and reliable operations are the foundation of Enbridge's business, and maintaining pipeline safety through the integrity management program is essential. As part of our routine maintenance program, Enbridge conducted an assessment of the Line 3 pipeline in 2013. The assessment identifies strategic and efficient means for maintaining system integrity, including additional in-line tool runs, investigatory digs or segment replacement. Enbridge further determined that a replacement of Line 3 was best to maintain system integrity while minimizing disruption to landowners and communities.

The proposed 36-inch replacement pipeline will serve the same purpose as the existing Line 3, which is the transportation of crude oil from Canada to the Enbridge Clearbrook Terminal near Clearbrook, Minnesota and on to Enbridge’s Superior Station and Terminal Facility near Superior, Wisconsin. The replacement pipeline will restore the historical operating capabilities of Line 3, and is generally expected to serve the same markets, and transport the same product mix as the current Line 3. The line is physically equipped to transport all grades of crude oil, and the type of crude oil transported in the future (as in the past) will be based on shipper demand. Upon replacement, the average annual capacity of Line 3 will be 760 kbpd.
 
Not that it has much to do with today's events in Superior, but stating that Minnesota Goverment is interfering with the pipeline replacement is a bit simplified.

The reality is Enbridge has an old pipeline that is running at much lower capacity today than originally designed. Enbridge would like to replace it, which sounds simple, except that it also runs through two Indian Reservations on its route, and neither will give permission for the replacement.

So Enbridge proposed rerouting the pipeline, hitting a whole different set of landowners, and opening up the can of worms they find themselves in now. As for the old pipeline, they proposed leaving it in place, abandoned, which also didn't sit well with many.

Add on top of that, the existing line is next to 5 other pipelines, installed as recently as 2009, that have leases with the federal government to go through the same reservations, that have leases that expire in 2029. When that happens, Enbridge either needs to relocate the lines, or negotiate directly with the tribes. The fear is the relocation of line 3 will create the corridor where the other 5 lines will be relocated.

Can't say I blame anyone for being a bit leery of that... So yes, it is a "replacement", but the reality is a bit more complicated...
 
Gasoline here has already jumped 10 cents this morning due to the explosion. They never miss an opportunity to raise the price of gas. Probably will jump another 10 cents by Saturday.
 
Originally Posted By: MNgopher
So yes, it is a "replacement", but the reality is a bit more complicated...


Yep. You have that correct and the other day a Judge from Minnesota said pipelines in general do not sit well with the people of Minnesota due to climate change. I'll stop there because I don't want to see us shut down over a global warming or native rights discussion. Thanks for the input. Go Wild!
 
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On the native rights side, I don't think there is much room for discussion. Its their reservation and lands, and they have the right.

Other the other side, my view is it is a replacement, and the oil will find its way to market with or without it (See oil unit trains from North Dakota as exhibit A), so the net effect on climate change is nil...

As for the wild, as a season ticket holder I say meh... Good regular season team with no next gear for the playoffs.
 
Originally Posted By: Oily_Thing
Gasoline here has already jumped 10 cents this morning due to the explosion. They never miss an opportunity to raise the price of gas. Probably will jump another 10 cents by Saturday.


"It produces asphalt, gasoline, diesel and heavy fuel oils, largely using heavy crude oil imported from Canada".

The gasoline market is integrated with pipelines so one area can affect the other. It's not that Missouri gets gasoline from Minnesota, but some gasoline in the south will be diverted north until the refinery is back on line. These are real molecules.
 
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Originally Posted By: MNgopher
On the native rights side, I don't think there is much room for discussion. Its their reservation and lands, and they have the right.

Other the other side, my view is it is a replacement, and the oil will find its way to market with or without it (See oil unit trains from North Dakota as exhibit A), so the net effect on climate change is nil...

Correct, and the native's choice if they want to forego royalties and pass them on to other land owners.
 
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